Dauntless Haven
by TotalNerdSorry
Summary: Hope Starks, a 16 year old girl from Amity, and takes place during Four's year. It includes characters from the original series and some of my own OC's.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is my second fanfic I've posted here and my first Divergent one. **TRIGGER WARNING** this deals with abuse very, very similar to what happens to Four. Not sure if it needs a warning but better to be safe than sorry. I mostly posted this for help developing my writing skills, and every review helps! I'll try to update once a week, although the chapters will be short. Hope you enjoy! **

Me and my mother always wake up early so we can talk and be alone without my father and brother. She'll come into my room, we'll talk about how we are, and I'll braid her hair. No one is too concerned about looks in Amity, but it's fun for us. My mom's only 34, and had my brother, Alex, when she was 16, and me at 18. I look at my mom and see how similar we are; we have the same wavy blonde hair, same big, light brown doe eyes, and same freckles along our noses and cheeks.

"So, are you excited for today?" Her sweet voice says quietly. I laugh.

"Not really. I mean, it's not like I'm choosing which faction I'll be in. It's just a test." Later today was the aptitude test. I'd be taking it with the rest of the 16 year olds in Amity, along with all the other factions. And I was telling the truth; I really wasn't nervous. Sure, I'd find out what faction I could be in, but it's still my choice.

"Hope?" My mom says, her voice even softer than usual. Our eyes meet. "It doesn't matter what faction you get on the test. I need you to promise me you'll leave."

"What?"

"You heard me. Please, sweetie." She touches my cheek with her hand. "I need you to get away from your father."

I stared at her in a loss for words. "But what about you? I can't leave you alone with that… that… that _monster_ of a man!"

"Hope. I need to do what's best for you. Okay? Promise me."

"I… I promise." My face felt hot and tears gathered in my eyes. I embraced my mom and she hugged me back.

And then I heard a door slam open.

I let go of my mom and whipped my head to the side, where I saw Alex facing us.

"Hope, go make yourself useful and make us breakfast." He demanded. I walked up to him.

"And what if I don't?" I jutted my chin up, stared him in the eyes, and spit in his face. Without skipping a beat, he punched me in the jaw.

I stumbled back a bit, but regained my balance. I stomped out of my room and Alex followed, but he didn't say anything. Just walked off back to his room.

Since I was sure he couldn't see me, I winced and put a tender hand up to my jaw. I could feel a bruise forming and immediately starting thinking of excuses. I knocked into a wall, tripped on stairs and hit my face, I fell out of bed. I sighed. Even if I wanted to stay in this faction, I couldn't. I was too gutsy to. I have no idea why Alex and my father stayed in this faction; there wasn't a kind bone in their damn bodies. I don't think there was one in mine either.

About an hour later, my father woke up. He came into the kitchen, where I was making pancakes. He grabbed my butt and I stiffened immediately.

"Please don't touch me," I begged, my voice weak and trembling.

"How many times have I told you," he started and leaned up to my ear, " I do not want to hear what I can and cannot do from a little girl."

I saw the heel of his hand go down and I tried to flinch away, but his hand made contact with the back of my head and I let out a low groan. My hand slipped onto the stove and made contact with one of the burners. I shook out my hand but he grabbed my wrist and forced me to turn towards him. _Just an hour, _I said to myself, _just another hour and then I leave for the test_.

"Do not test my patience." He let go of my wrist and left the room.

The second he left I could feel tension coming off my shoulders, and the steam and rage rise in me. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted him to feel the same things I felt, I wanted to-

"Hope? Are you okay?" My mom came into the kitchen and I just hoped she hadn't heard anything.

"I never am." I turned away from her, avoiding any eye contact. "Breakfast is ready."

I finished eating quickly and ran up the stairs back to my room. I almost never had any free time, but since I was excused from any chores both today and tomorrow, I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil and began drawing. I had been working on something for a few days, but wasn't too close to finishing it. It was a picture of a girl at the choosing ceremony. She was facing away from the view point. Her long, dark hair was in two French braids and the cut from her hand was dripping blood onto the floor. In her other hand, the knife was clenched tightly by her side. It wasn't me, I don't know who it was. But this girl, this girl was angry at the universe.

Time flies by along with my pencil. I hear a faint knock on my door and my mother walks in. I drop the pad and pencil and smile at her.

"You have to get to the altitude test soon. Get ready, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

She closed the door and the sound resonated through my small room. I changed out of my pajamas as quickly as possible and threw on a casual, high necked yellow dress that flowed at the waist and went down to right above my knees. I ran downstairs and made a beeline for the door, grabbing a pair of nude ballet flats on my way. My mom saw me and we both hopped in the car.

We didn't say much the whole car ride, mostly from nerves. When we finally arrived, we said our goodbyes and I hopped out of the car. When I walked into the building, I saw most of everyone there. The Amity's were playing a fast paced card game together, the Dauntless were in separate groups together laughing at jokes, the Candor were in a lighthearted debate, the Erudites all read books, and the Abnegation were making small talk together. I sat down with my faction but didn't say anything. A few smiled and greeted me, but most of the kids ignored me. I looked around the room, trying to observe the other factions. I thought I was the only one who was sitting alone, but then I made eye contact with an Abnegation boy the next table over. Neither of us offered any sort of smile or recognition of each other's preferences. The boy had close cropped brown hair and dark blue eyes. His lips hung down in a natural frown. I don't know what compelled me to, but I found myself standing up and walking over to him. The kids from my faction didn't notice as I walked past them, and only a few Abnegation kids looked up.

"Sorry, do I know you?" The boy said, but there was a softness to his voice.

"No. Sorry, I just- I don't know, to be honest. The Amity are a bit too soft. I can't stand them." The boy laughed and I grinned. "I'm Hope."

"Nice to meet you, Hope."

"You need to get out of your faction too, don't you?" I asked bluntly.

"Come again?" His brows knit together.

"You need to get out of your faction, right? You have the same look in your eyes."

The boy looked at me with something- awe, surprise, confusion. "Yeah, you're right about that."

A small silence filled the empty space, but somehow, it wasn't awkward.

"How'd you get that bruise on your jaw?" He asked.

I put a tender hand up to my face. "I never met a curious Stiff before."

"And I never met an Amity who called an Abnegation a Stiff before."

I heard another voice, this one female and loud. "Hope Starks and Candice Decker?"

"That's me." I stood up and waved to the boy, not looking back.

I joined a girl with raven black hair and dark brown eyes who must've been Candice. She was from my faction, although we had never met before, as far as I knew. The walk from our tables to the rooms seemed endless.

"So, are you nervous?" Candice asked.

"Oh, um… I guess a little, yeah. You?"

"I think everyone makes these seem like a lot more than they are. It's not like we can't choose any faction we want."

Before I got a chance to reply, we went into separate rooms.

"Good luck!" She shouted from the room over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! I "hope" you enjoy chapter two! Thank you for the review, kind stranger, and also I should tell you guys something: I've already written the next few chapters, so I definitely promise there will be more coming each week. Ok, let's get going on! (Also I'm not sure if the formatting will be messed up, I might've done something wrong but it should be fine)**

As soon as I walked in, I saw an Abnegation woman standing over the kind of chair you would see in a dentist's room. There was a table next to the chair with a glass of some sort of clear liquid.

"Hello. Are you Hope Starks?" The woman asked. I nodded. "My name is Natalie Prior. I'll be overseeing your test today. Why don't you take a seat?"

I sat down wordlessly. Natalie put electrodes on my forehead, and then on her own. "This is all necessary for the testing." I nodded like I understood and she continued on. "Drink this."

She handed me the clear liquid. "What will happen?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself." She smiled.

I took the drink, closed my eyes, and drank. When I opened my eyes I was back in the cafeteria. There were two pedestals in front of me, one with a knife and one with a block of cheese. A voice behind me spoke.

"Chose."

I turned around but there was no one there.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Choose," the voice said again.

"What happens if I don't?"

"Choose."

"What for?" I crossed my arms.

"Very well."

I turned back around and the knife and cheese were both gone. Coming into the entrance of the cafeteria was a dog. But this dog looked aggressive and wild. He ran towards me and I panicked. What did I know about dogs? I had no idea. Well, I had one idea. It was just a bad idea. If I curled into a ball under one of the tables, the dog would either not see me as a threat or at least It'd be harder for him to sink his jaws into me. _This is only a simulation, I can't get hurt from it_. I heard him running up to me, his long claws scraping on the ground. As I braced for the dog to bite me, I felt a warm, wet lick on my exposed arm. I uncoiled from my fetal position and looked at the dog. How did a bloodthirsty looking dog turn into this lovable creature? I laughed and pet the dog. I heard a high pitched voice coming from the doorway.

"Doggy!" A little girl. She giggled.

Suddenly, the dog turned. He started barking and ran towards the girl. At this point I was acting on instinct and adrenaline. I threw myself onto the dog, but before I could feel his thick fur, I fell to the ground. The girl was gone, the dog was gone, and I wasn't in the cafeteria anymore. I was back in the testing room. I opened the door, expecting to go back to the cafeteria, but instead I am in a moving bus. A man approaches me and points to a picture in the newspaper he is holding. The headline reads, "_**Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!**_"

"Do you know this man?" He asks. I think I recognize the man, but I can't quite place it.

"I don't believe I do. What's it to you?" I reply.

"If you tell me, you could save me. You could _save_ me!""I'm sorry, but I don't know him." I have a feeling that telling this man who the picture was of would be a terrible idea.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not. I don't know who the man is. Leave me alone." It's all just a simulation.

"I can see it in your eyes. You know him!"

I cross my arms and set my jaw. "I. Do not. Know. This. Man."

And then everything fades away. I am back in the testing room with Natalie.

"Listen to me," she says, "I am going to tell you something that you can never repeat. You are someone that we call Divergent. When testing, each simulation rules out two factions. But in some rare cases, like yours, not all factions are ruled out. You were also aware you were under the simulation, correct?"

"Yeah. But I have an aptitude for multiple factions?" I have no idea how to make sense of what she's saying.

"You have equal aptitudes for both Amity and Dauntless. You can never tell anyone. Being Divergent is very dangerous."

"I don't understand. How is this dangerous?"

"I can't explain it to you now. You should go back home. I'll put your aptitude in for Amity. Never tell anyone." She opened a back door. "Good luck tomorrow."

After the rushed interaction, I decide to walk home. It would take longer for me to get home, and I could stop by at the orchard to relax and think. I notice every crack and bump on the road and zone out. As much as I don't want to, I know my mom is right. I know I had to leave my faction. But how can I do that to her? How can I leave her alone? And if I switch, what faction will I go to? My only obvious options is Dauntless, seeing as I got an aptitude for that as well as Amity. I have to evaluate myself as a person. I think I understand why I got Dauntless; I've always stood up for myself, and I hate it when people try to push me around. I think I would do well in Dauntless. I'm definitely not selfless enough for Abnegation. I've seen their compound, and everything there is too cookie cutter perfect. I'd be bored. I'm not smart enough for Erudite, and I lie too often for Candor. Soon enough, I reached the orchard. If I left Amity, I think this is what I'd miss the most. Row after row of picture perfect apple trees. The crisp apples, the sweet air, the way the leaves crinkled with the wind. I saw a tree with a wide branch and climbed up. I thought I knew my choice, but what would life be like there? I couldn't imagine living a different way then I do now.

It was getting dark, so I started to walk home. Since I didn't have lunch I was extremely hungry, so I was happy for once to go to the dining hall. The chefs made the most delicious pasta dish on Saturdays, with a light cream sauce. God, I'm delusional from hunger if all I can think about is pasta. I finally reach my house and open the front door. No one was in the living room so I ran up the stairs to my room. My watch read 5:30, which meant dinner would be in half an hour. I continued on my drawing, finally breaking out my colored pencils and adding life to the girl. I wasn't sure how to depict the sketch: should I add warm, yellow and red colors, or darker shades? My old faction or my soon to be faction? A memory of the past, or a bright glimpse into the future? I decided to leave her as she was, at least for now. I started on a new drawing, just a simple sketch of the Dauntless flames. I finished it in a few minutes and laid down to take a nap with my sketchbook still open on my desk.


	3. Chapter 3

"_What the hell is this?_" My father's loud voice startled me awake. He was standing over my bed, my sketchbook in his hand. "Are you a faction traitor?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't think it would-" I started, sitting up on my bed.

"That's the problem. You don't _think_." He grabbed my arm and pulled me up roughly.

I saw his hands move down to grab his belt. He started slowly unraveling it and wrapped it around his hand. "This is for your own good."

I oblige and slowly take my dress off. Each second feels like an eternity. I feel bare, exposed to him. I turn away before I could see the belt hit my skin. I felt a stab of pain above my waist. I grind my teeth together but don't make a sound. _I won't scream,_ I promise myself. He hits me twice more, in the same spot. I groan loudly, but I don't yell. He throws my sketchbook across the room and storms out. As soon as he's gone, I try to stand to see if the pain is manageable. I immediately regret doing so, and black dots form in my eyes. I pass out on the floor a moment later.

When I wake up, I can tell some time has passed. I collect myself and drag myself over to sit on my bed. Taking deep breaths, I check my watch and see that it's 6:04. There's no way in hell I can let my father see he had any effect on me. It gets cold at night in Amity, so I throw on a red sweatshirt and a yellow pair of jeans. My side hurts tremendously, but I've learned to power through it. I limp out the door and start walking towards the dining hall. It's only about half a mile from our house. I knew I deserved to get free of Alex and my dad. I know I did nothing to deserve their abuse, but it still felt like I was betraying mom. I don't know… I don't know… I don't know…

I get to the dining hall and open the doors. People are still streaming in, so no one takes a second look at me. I walk past table after table, and spot my dad sitting with his friends. He looks around and sees me. I make eye contact and gave him the best _fuck you_ stare I could muster. It must've been good because he looked away quickly. I saw the girl who was called with me, Candice, sitting next to a woman and a little girl who shared her raven black hair, and dark intense eyes. I assume they're her family. She said something to her mom and stood up from the table, grabbing her tray with her. She walks over to me.

"Hey. You're Hope, right? It's Candice, from earlier today." She smiles.

"Yeah, I remember you. It's nice to see you again." I continue to look forward and make my way to the mini buffet type table.

"So, are you nervous about tomorrow?" Candice asks. "I mean, it _seems_ like such an easy choice. Amity is so peaceful, I don't see a reason to risk everything and leave."

She says it with a note of uncertainty in her voice and I'm not so sure that she wants to stay in Amity. "Yeah, I get what you mean."

We reach the tables and I grab a tray and get some food. Candice is leading me now, over to an empty table in a corner. We sit down across from each other, and I'm suddenly struck by how beautiful Candice is. Her hair is tied up loosely with a bandana, and small strings of hair frame her round face. She's short and curvy, and has a maroon bomber jacket on. Light brown flecks scatter around her eyes

"Hope?" She says suddenly and I snap back to reality. "I wanna tell you something. I just have to tell someone before I go stir crazy." She takes a deep breath. "I think I'm going to switch."

I'm startled and my eyes widen slightly. "Really?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, I-"

"Me too."

Now it's her turn to look startled. "Really?"

I laugh. "Yes, really. It's so boring here. The only thing I think I'd miss would be the orchards. They're just so beautiful."

"Yeah. I definitely won't miss the freezing cold showers, though."

"Can… can I ask you a question?"

Candice shrugs her shoulders. "Sure."

"Why are you sitting with me? And why are you telling me this?"

"I, well, I guess I'm sitting here cause I want a change of pace. Like we were talking about, everyone in Amity is the same person, and you seem more open and strange. Every 16 year old here," she holds her arms out wide, "they're the same. They're gonna opt for a happy life here. And it sounds great, fine. But… well, I guess you understand it."

Before I had a chance to respond, I saw a perky looking girl, a bit older than me, walking over to Candice with a spring in her step.

"Hey Candy! It's a big day for you tomorrow, huh?" The girl said.

"Hey Vi. Yeah, I'm pretty nervous!" Candice looks over to me. "Oh, I should introduce you. Hope, this is Violet. Violet, Hope."

"Nice to meet you, Hope." Violet ran up to me and held her arms open.

I stood up and let her hug me. It was the normal greeting in Amity, but I neve quite got used to it. She squeezes me hard and digs into my sides. I wince at the sharp pain in my side, but I don't think she or Candice notice. Violet let go and we sat down next to each other.

"The Choosing Ceremony is such a big deal. I transferred to Amity two years ago from Erudite and it's so much better here." Violet grins at us. "Oh, the _funniest_ thing happened to me today-"

Violet continues on, but I zone her out. A few minutes later, Violet is still talking when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I recognize the touch immediately and tense up.

"Hi, Alex. What are you doing here?" I turned around to make sure it was him, and it definitely was.

"Hey Hope. Are these your friends?" He smiled at Candice and Violet.

I hated him when he did that. He looked like your conventional nice guy, tall and lean with blind hair and celery green eyes he got from my dad. He had a charming smile, too. As cruel as he could be to me, in public he turned into an angel.

"Yeah. Well, I guess, I just met them. This is Candice and Violet." I point to both of them in turn and they smile and wave back to him.

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Hope's brother. Sorry to interrupt, but we need to be on our way."

"Ok. Um… bye, guys." I gave an awkward wave and left with Alex.

I could feel someone gazing at me and turn back. Candice has her dark eyes on my big golden brown ones. She gives me a smile, but it seems tense and there was sadness hiding in it.

**hey guys, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever :(. I've been super busy these past months are haven't had the chance to update. If you guys like my story so far, or even if you didn't it would mean the world to me if you left a review! Thanks so much!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey... it's been a while. i'm really sorry, I know it's been a year since I uploaded. I just got some writers block and completely forgot about this story. Normally I hate the old stuff I write, but I was still pretty proud of this when i read it over. It wasn't great and I made some mistakes but I think I've improved and shoutout to the three people who still have the story favorited I hope you see this and I think I'll be able to keep up with it 3**

**Ok now I'm done with talking let's get onto the story.**

The bus we take to the Choosing Ceremony is full of teenagers in bright reds and yellows. I myself am wearing yellow denim shorts with a loose red tank top. I am all too aware of how if I raise my arms too high my bruises will be exposed, but it's not like I'll have to do anything that requires raising my arms so I should be fine. I sit in the back by myself, and see Candice sit a few rows in front of me with a boy I recognize- I think his name is Aaron. He sits in front of me in math, second period. I am glad that I brought my sketchbook; I'm sure there won't be anything to draw on in Dauntless, and I want to keep the artistic skills I learned in Amity. I fiddle with my hair aimlessly while waiting to get to the ceremony.

The Choosing Ceremony is held in the Hub. Almost everyone attends, even if they don't have family or friends that are 16. When the bus arrives at the Hub, I try to take it all in. It's the tallest building anywhere and the top disappears into the clouds. Inside the building, I take the elevator full of people I don't know. I get in line in alphabetical order, and find myself next to a Candor boy and Erudite girl. I look around and see my family sitting together. As I stare at my father, I am even more aware of the deep ache in my side. He expects me to come crawling back to Amity after this is over. My mom sits next to him with a tense look on her face. She is the reason I might stay. Why I want to stay. But then I see Alex's smirk and I stand up straighter. I am switching. I know that.

Everyone quiets down and I look up at the stage where Max, the leader of Dauntless stands. His loud voice penetrates through the room.

"Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Today you will choose your factions. Until this point you have followed your parents' paths, your parents' rules. Today you will find your own path, make your own rules."

My own path. It's about 16 years late for that, thanks. Even my thoughts sound bitter at this point and I know I'm not thinking straight. I'm driven by hate for my father, hate for the system that allowed an angry and horrible man to raise me and to go to the supposedly peaceful faction.

"A long time ago our ancestors realized that each of us, each individual, was responsible for the evil that exists in the world. But they didn't agree on exactly what that evil was," Max says. "Some said that it was dishonesty…"

Some of the Candor grin and murmur to each other. I lie too easily for Candor.

"Some said that it was ignorance, some say aggression,"

I don't know if I blame aggression. I think you have to be assertive to get your point across and Amity is the opposite of that.

"And the last group said that it was cowardice that was to blame."

Hoots rise up from the Dauntless section, followed by laughter. Cowardice. My father is a coward for needing to abuse a little girl to feel worth something. And I blame him for everything wrong in my life.

"That is how we came by our factions: Candor, Erudite, Amity, Abnegation, and Dauntless." Max smiles. "In them we find administrators and teachers and counselors and leaders and protectors. In them we find our sense of belonging, our sense of community, our very lives." He clears his throat. "Enough of that. Let's get to it. Come forward and get your knife, then make your choice. First up Zellner, Aaron."

The Amity boy that was sitting next to Candice on the bus rises from the front of the line. He takes a few shaky steps forward and meets Max, who gives him a knife. Aaron makes a small cut on his thumb and holds it over the bowl of dirt. He smiles and makes his way back to Amity.

A few more kids go and I am suddenly aware of how soon I will have to make my choice.

"Talbot, Fiona."

Only about 3 kids until I go up. Fiona, a Dauntless born, goes up confidently enough and grabs the knife. She holds her hands over the bowl of glass for Candor and let's her blood drip. She will now be an empty spot in Dauntless, until a new initiate takes her place. Her family will think of her as an outcast, a traitor. I wonder if my family will see me that way. Seeing as Amity stands for peace and harmony, you would expect my parents and brother to be happy for me. But this is the same faction that breeds a toxic family that despises me. They control me. I think the only place that will teach me how ot let go of my past is Dauntless- yes, I am sure of it. More teenagers have gone while I was thinking. Dylan, the Candor boy in front of me, rejoins his faction.

"Starks, Hope."

I walk up and take the knife from Max. Although I know which faction I will choose, my hands still shake as I cut into my palm. I wince as the knife digs into my skin, and I know I cut too far. I barely stop my blood from spilling on the carpet before I thrust my hand forward, onto the coals that signify Dauntless.

I am mean; I am brave.

As I walk back, I see my family. My mom looks sad, but gives me a smile. I return the smile and pass my eyes onto my father. He looks as angry as I am at him. I smirk back at him. Next to him is Alex, who looks completely shell-shocked. I barely contain a laugh. Besides my family, almost all of Amity is muttering to each other. My hand still hurts from my too-deep cut and I try not to get blood everywhere. I get to the Dauntless section and take a seat in the front. I am next to a Dauntless born girl who is as old as me and chose a little before I did.

The girl next to me rips of a piece of her shirt and hands it to me. "Here, tie up your hand with this."

I take the cloth and wrap it around my hand. The blood soaks through the fabric and stains the black a dark red color, but it helps. "Thanks. I'm Hope, by the way."

"Marlene." She doesn't turns back and to offer a smile or continue the conversation. Although that's what I expected from Dauntless, it's a jarring switch from the comfort most people in Amity brought to you.

I don't pay any attention to the rest of the ceremony until I hear a specific name.

"Decker, Candice."

I pick my head up and see Candice strut up to Max. Her black hair flows behind her and she walks with a certain confidence. She takes the knife and cuts, but she doesn't move. Her eyes switch between the glass for Candor and the coals for Dauntless. I silently pray for her to choose the coals, but I know she will make the choice for whatever faction feels right. Her hand juts forward to one bowl and her blood sizzled on the coals. I head mutters from Amity. Every once in a while there will be a transfer, but I don't remember the last time there were two Amity transfers. I clap along with the rest of Dauntless and grin. Candice is still wearing the maroon jacket from last night and fiddles with the zipper. She looks at someone in the audience and a sad expression crosses her face. She comes towards the Dauntless section and takes the seat next to me.

"Nice to see you over here." I grin at her.

Candice answers with a light laugh. "You too, Hope."

"Eaton, Tobias." Max's voice calls and I decide to look over to where the ceremony is still going on.

A boy in grey steps forward. I recognize him from the cafeteria, but I'm used to hiding my emotions and don't look surprised to anyone around me. Or so I hope.

He cuts his hand, and it looks like he made his too deep as well, but I don't see a wince on his face. Tobias's lets hit blood flow onto the coals. I guess I was right when I sensed that he would switch. He took a seat next to me, and I ripped off a piece of my shirt for his cut like the girl Marlene had done for me. Tobias gives me a sideways smile and wraps it around his palm.

Tobias and Candice and me.

We had each made a choice that would mean that our past could never be rekindled.


End file.
